The conservation of electricity, gas, and water has become a key concern across the globe. With the high cost of energy production, and the often devastating effects such production has on the environment, limiting the use of electricity and gas has never been more important. Many municipalities have in fact started to force conservation on their residents through regulation and legislation.
Clearly the majority of the population is not only mindful of the need for conservation, but willing to conserve their use of electricity, gas, and water for the benefit of the environment and associated cost savings. However, aside from the simplest acts of turning off lights and limiting use of water, heating and air conditioning, the ordinary consumer is not equipped to determine the actual results of their conservation efforts.
Studies show that a major contributor in reducing utility consumption and emissions is consumer awareness. Residents, builders and developers have an immediate need for products that can help them comply with the ever changing building codes for greenhouse gas emissions, energy and water conservation standards and guidelines. The market for conservation products has never been better, which means the demand for the wireless thermostat of the present invention has never been stronger.
The consumption of gas is greatly limited by the use of programmable thermostats which account for weekly occupancy and temperature setting variations. Traditionally, thermostats are fixtures built into the structure of a home. The placing of the thermostat is typically determined by the home builder. Once built into the structure, the thermostat cannot be easily repositioned. It would be advantageous for future inhabitants to have the option to reposition the thermostat based on their individual preference and need.
Single thermostat HVAC systems cannot accurately measure thermal variances in various climate control zones. Such inaccuracy can lead to inefficient energy consumption and system balance. Because a homeowner may not spend the majority of their time where the thermostat is permanently positioned, it would be advantageous to have a removable wireless thermostat (or multiple devices) which could be placed in any area determined by the home owner based on their current individual use and need.
Many existing home thermostats are built using mercury, a highly toxic substance, to measure temperature. Over time mercury leakage may occur, causing harm to the environment and potentially fatal exposure to humans. Furthermore, many thermostats are not user-friendly because their user interface may not be digital, graphic, or easily understood. It would be advantageous to use an environmentally friendly thermostat which poses no threat to the consumer or environment. It would be further advantageous to provide a removable wireless wall thermostat that is easy to use and comparatively cost effective.
By providing an ordinary resident the tools be or she needs to maximize their conservation efforts, overall consumption of electricity gas and water in the community will decrease. In addition to temperature sensing, it would also be advantageous to integrate a humidity sensor into the thermostat in order to present a more accurate description of the climate as experienced by the occupants.